Thunder and Lightning
by KGrint
Summary: Hermione has been afraid of Lightning since she was a little girl, and tonight she can't fall asleep because a storm is raging outside. She decides the only way to calm down is to find comfort in her best friend and boy she loves, Ron Weasley. RHr.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and though I'd like to, I dont own Ron Weasley either. They all belong to J.K Rowling. I do own this plot though. Let me know what you think; and don't worry, I'll be updating my other stories within the week. 3**

Hermione decided she was about three years old when her fear of lightning began. She jumped a little and held her blankets closer as another bolt of lightning flashed outside Ginny's window. If she thought hard enough she could remember the night she and her parents evacuated their house. She could remember the fierce storm taking place outside, and watching her neighbor's house burn to the ground, after it had been struck by lightning. That's when it happened, she decided. As she watched her neighbor's house crumble, a fear was set in her soul.

Whenever clouds started to block her view of the sun, and little droplets of rain began to fall, Hermione would rush inside. She'd make a quick effort to get to her bed, get comfortable and fall asleep, so when the thunder and lightning began, she wouldn't have to witness it. She wasn't so lucky this time.

Usually, if she hadn't made it in to dream land in time, Hermione would find comfort in her parent's bed, safely between them. Her father would tell her about fairy tales, or about his day to calm her down, and to make her forget about the raging storm outside. But not tonight.

Tonight she was in the Weasley household. Tonight she was without her parents. Tonight she only had her blankets and the fear that gripped her as another lightning bolt struck right outside her window. She had tried to rush inside as it began to rain, but Ron had kept her outside. She'd forgotten her usual routine with storms as Ron grabbed her hands and spun her around till they were both dizzy and soaking wet from the rain. Ron usually made her forget things such as this, for he had the ability to make her go numb, and do things she never would.

Now she regretted staying outside with Ron. She hated the fact that he had yet again caused her to forget herself and go against her routine. Now she had nothing to do but lay in the bed Mrs. Weasley had set up for her, and pray the storm would end soon. Or _did she? No,_ she thought, _I can't possibly. No._ But the thought of crawling in to Ron's bed instead of her parents, sounded so comforting that it would not leave her mind. He'd hold her close, and whisper words of comfort in to her ear, as she would slowly fall asleep. _No, I can't. I'd freak him out,_ she thought. _Or would I?_

She decided she'd liked Ron since the moment she saw him. He may have been a little rough around the edges, but he was adorable, and mysterious, and that intrigued her. He grew in to the handsome boy, no- _man_, he was now in no more than 6 years, and that left her speechless. How did innocent Ron Weasley become a man right in front of her eyes? His hair grew to a darker auburn from its original bright red hue. His light blue eyes that used to dance with laughter and light, now held something more than just childhood happiness; they were the windows to his soul. And those freckles, oh how she loved those freckles; they'd grown in number since that first train ride, and she would give anything to be able to count them all, if he would let her. He'd also grown at least a foot and a half since they were eleven. He could easily rest his chin on the top of her head and he proved that fact every day when he hugged her. Those arms; those long, lean, muscular arms of his. They too captivated her every day. They were no longer too long for him, and they held his masculinity in them. They also held her every now and then too.

_Stop it_. She really needed to get him out of her mind. She needed to calm down right now. There was a storm raging outside to be dealt with. How did she start thinking about Ron anyway? _Oh._ Now she was really frustrated. She cringed again as thunder rumbled outside. She scrambled to think of how to calm herself down and fall asleep. She nearly shrieked as what she thought was the brightest flash of lightning she'd ever seen, sparked outside the window. _That's it_, she thought. _Ron is just going to have to help me tonight._

She unwrapped herself from the covers on the bed, and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She took a couple deep breathes to calm her nerves. Whether they were from the fact that she was about to go and crawl in to bed with the one boy she'd always cared for or if it was the fact that she was about to run around the Weasley's house in the middle of a storm, she didn't know. She was nervous nonetheless. She finally slipped her feet in to her slippers and stood up. She looked over to Ginny's bed to see if she had woken her friend, but Ginny was sound asleep. _Good_. Then, she walked as quietly as she could to the door and slipped out in to the hall way. She look to her left then to her right to make sure no one was out in the hall way with her, and then she walked as fast as she could to the staircase that would lead her to Ron's room.

As she ascended the stairs she made her best effort to not step on the stairs that she knew creaked the loudest. They all made sounds, but some were worse than others. She made it to the first landing, as a flash of lightning shook the house. She closed her eyes, took a deep breathe, and continued to walk. She made it all the way up to the door leading to Ron's attic room before what she was about to do actually struck her. Sure, they were best friends, and maybe Ron would understand that she needed comfort. But why him? He'd probably question her about Ginny, maybe even Crookshanks. All Hermione knew was that Ron was the only one that could comfort her. So, as she opened the door to Ron's room she gathered her courage, and managed to step inside the room.

And there he was. His auburn hair was tousled more than she'd ever seen it. He was tangled up in his sheets, and his long, muscled arm was dangling over the side. She practically giggled at the sight, but she held her breathe so she wouldn't. She slowly crept over to his bed, and knelt down beside it. She couldn't help but watch him as he breathed in and out slowly in a peaceful slumber. He even seemed to have a slight smile on his handsome face, and she couldn't help but smile herself. She lifted her hand slowly to go for her first attempt at waking him. She didn't want to startle him after all. So, she gradually lifted her arm up and ran her hand down his arm. He shivered a bit but continued to sleep. _Ok, that wont work_, she thought. _What else would wake him up?_ She shook his arm this time, and said his name once. He grumbled and shook her hand off, then rolled over. Just then, a flash of lightning seemed to strike right outside Ron's window and Hermione jumped and this time she did make a sound. She gasped, and as soon as she did she covered her mouth as her eyes widened. She watched as Ron's eyes blinked open, and his beautiful blue eyes rested on her face. He looked at her quizzically before realizing the full extent of her being in his room, and he covered himself up in a rush.

"Hermione, what are you doing," he questioned her. His face was contorted in one of utmost confusion.

"I- I, well," she breathed in and then out, "I'm scared of the lightning, Ron," she finished.

He looked at her for a moment before he did exactly what she thought he would. He raised his eyebrows so they were hidden in his tousled hair, and asked her, "So you came to me," with the most confused lilt in his voice.

"Well," she replied, "I- well, who else would I go to," she practically asked herself, because right now she really did wonder why she'd come to Ron.

He looked at her in bewilderment and continued to reply, "Ginny maybe, you know she's right there with you in your room. Or possibly Crookshanks, you could just, ya know, pet him for a while or something. There's not much I can do Hermione," he finished.

For some reason beyond her, tears gathered in her eyes, and she wanted to smack herself. _Of course there wasn't anything he could do._ He didn't want to hold her while she calmed herself down. He didn't want to tell her calming things while he tried to soothe her. He wanted her to leave him alone and get some sleep. She sighed and gathered her composure before standing up.

"Sorry, Ron, I just thought- well," she paused, "I don't know what I thought, I'm sorry I woke you," she finished as she began to turn around, and then she felt his hand wrap around her wrist.

"Hermione, wait," he started, "I mean- well, it's ok, if you want to, ya know, talk or something," he finished lamely.

_Was that hope in his eyes? No._ "No, Ron its ok, really, I shouldn't have bothered you."

"Really, Hermione, I'll talk with you, we are best mates after all," he replied.

Yes, best mate, that's all. _Stop being bitter._ "Are you sure, Ron," she questioned.

"Yes, Hermione, now come her," he replied as he pulled on her wrist to tell her to sit down beside him.

He took his hand off her wrist, and then turned to look at her. She raised her eyes to look into his and they stayed that way for awhile. She breathed in and out, and as she began to breathe in again, lightning struck, followed by a clap of thunder. She jumped and instinctively hid her eyes in Ron's shoulder. She felt him stiffen, and she knew she'd just made this whole thing even more awkward than it already was. _Darn_. What she wasn't expecting though, was for Ron to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her closer.

"I didn't know you were afraid of storms, Mione'," he whispered in to her ear.

She swore she stopped breathing. "I- well, yes, I am," she replied, almost ashamed.

"Well, it's okay," he started, "Gin used to be afraid of them too when she was little, I just guess for you it never went away," he whispered.

She could only nod and mumble an, "mmhmm," before resting her hand on the arm that was wrapped around the front of her wait.

"Hermione," he questioned.

"Ron," she replied.

"Do you wanna- well, do you want to," he paused, as he seemed to gather his own courage, "I'm knackered Hermione, do you want, erm, well, that is-," he couldn't continue.

"What is it, Ron," she asked him.

"Would you mind if we tried to sleep," he asked finally, in a very high- pitched voice.

"Um, no, that's okay I guess," she replied as her heart hammered in her chest.

She sat up, and watched as Ron scooted to the far side of his bed and lied back down on his back and turned his head towards her. She breathed in and out once, and lied down beside him. The problem was, she didn't have a pillow. She wouldn't complain though, she was taking up half his bed anyway.

She was about to close her eyes when Ron turned to her again. "Mione', do you want to rest your, uh, your head on my shoulder, there isn't, erm, enough pillow I suppose," he choked out in a half whisper.

"Um, well_," it's now or never_, "if it's okay with you, Ron," she finally managed.

She then watched in amazement as Ron moved his arm from his side and put it behind her head. She lifted her own head up and turned on her side to face him, and rested it on his shoulder. She tucked her head under his chin and he covered them both up with his blankets.

"This okay," she heard him ask.

She nodded.

"Okay, good night, Mione'," he whispered, before he kissed her on the forehead, so lightly she wasn't even sure he had actually done it.

She gathered her courage and lifted her head up to kiss his cheek. "Night, Ron," she whispered back before resting her head on his shoulder again and tucking it right back where it had been.

She felt him breathe in deeply and breathe out slowly, before she felt him kiss her cheek very chastely. Her eyes snapped open in shock. _Take this moment for all it's worth_. She tilted her head up a little and kissed the tip of his chin. This time though, she didn't move her head back to his shoulder, but kept it in its position, facing upward. He turned his head, and looked down at her, and she saw it then. That look she'd always wanted him to give her. It was one of love, and desire, and everything she'd needed from him since she was twelve.

That's when he moved his face closer to hers, and kissed her right on the lips. She opened her eyes after the shock had worn off a little, and locked hers with his shocking blue ones. He looked scared and she decided that she was right. She moved her head this time, and kissed him right back, with as much love and caring as she felt. And to her relief, he kissed her back. He wrapped his other arm around her back and brought her closer to him, and continued to kiss her. She scooted herself up a little more, so there wasn't so much strain on her neck, and without breaking the kiss, she managed it. Ron was even able to benefit from that, as he wrapped his arm even further around her he hoisted her atop of him. She broke the kiss out of surprise.

"Ron," she gasped out, as she stared at his flushed face, and swollen lips.

"Mione', I- I'm, I…I love you," he whispered.

She started at him in shock. All the blood must have rushed from her face and brain, and ran all the way through her body. She felt a tingle of excitement rush from her head to her toes and back again several times, as the shock of what he'd just said sank in.

When she finally snapped back to reality Ron was shaking his head with his eyes closed and muttering things like "bloody idiot", "just messed everything up", and "I should take a bludger to the head".

Hermione giggled, yes giggled, and caressed his cheek. He stopped muttering and looked at her. "No, you shouldn't take a bludger to the head, because then I couldn't kiss you again," she whispered, before placing her lips on his once more.

Several minutes, and many kisses and whispered proclamations later, Hermione realized that the storm had passed. She managed to stop kissing Ron, get her hands out from under his shirt, _How'd they wind up there?_ and get his attention.

"Ron, I should probably get back to my own bed," she told him regretfully.

"No, no you shouldn't Hermione," he replied, in an almost childish complaint.

She kissed his cheek and nodded. "Ron, if your mother finds us up here, in a bed together, she will kill you or maybe both of us," she replied quickly.

"I don't care," he told her. "I've waited half my bloody life for this moment, and you and your cute little know-it-all self are not going to mess this up for me."

"You- you think I'm cute," was all she could say.

"No," he paused, "I think you're beautiful," he told her matter-of-factly, and thunder sounded in her brain.

"I love you, Ron," she told him quickly, before locking her lips with his and holding him as closely to her as she could manage.

They stayed that way late in to the night, and when Hermione couldn't quite keep her eyes open any more, they stopped. They settled back under the covers, and Hermione rested her head on Ron's shoulder like she'd done when they had first lied down. Ron wrapped his arms around her and wished her good night again. She watched as he closed his eyes, and fell back to sleep.

Hermione decided she was seventeen when she stopped being afraid of thunder and lightning. She also decided that it was because every time she thought about Ron, she thought of how it seemed like electricity was shooting through her body like lightning. And when Ron kissed her, everything was drowned out by what seemed to be thunder rumbling in her ears.


End file.
